Method and apparatus for providing autonomous control of a vehicle. A vehicle can be manually controlled by an operator. An autonomous system can monitor the operator's control inputs and the environment of the vehicle to determine whether the control inputs result in safe operation of the vehicle. If control inputs are not safe, then the autonomous system can modify the operator's unsafe inputs into safe inputs. In various instances, the autonomous system can operate the vehicle without operator input. In the event an operator attempts to apply control inputs to the vehicle while the autonomous system is otherwise in control, the autonomous system can check to see whether the operator's inputs result in safe operation of the vehicle. If the operator's control inputs are safe, then the autonomous system can replace its autonomous commands with the operator's commands.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A computer-implemented method for controlling a vehicle using one or more actuators, the method comprising: applying, using a computer processor, an autonomous operation command to the one or more actuators to thereby direct the vehicle during motive operation; during the application of the autonomous operation command: receiving a control input from at least one inceptor for the vehicle; and determining a modified command that would result when the control input is applied in conjunction with the autonomous operation command to the one or more actuators; determining a safe range of operation for the at least one inceptor; applying the modified command to the one or more actuators responsive to determining that the control input is within the safe range of operation; and ceasing application of the modified command responsive to determining that the control input is no longer within the safe range of operation.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein applying the autonomous operation command occurs while the vehicle is in an autonomous operation mode.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the control input comprises at least one of a steering input, an acceleration input, and a braking input.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising: responsive to preventing a modification of the autonomous operation command, providing feedback to the at least one inceptor that provides an indication of preventing the modification.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , the method further comprising: receiving environmental information describing one or more aspects of an environment surrounding the vehicle; and determining the safe range of operation for the at least one inceptor based on the environmental information.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , the method further comprising: determining a skill level of an operator of the vehicle; and determining the safe range of operation for the at least one inceptor based on the skill level of the operator.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein determining the skill level of the operator comprises: identifying whether the operator corresponds to a predefined operator profile having a skill level; and determining whether the operator operates the inceptor within a limit of the safe range of operation, wherein determining the safe range of operation for the at least one inceptor comprises incrementally increasing the safe range of operation.
8. A controller for a vehicle, comprising: one or more computer processors configured to: apply an autonomous operation command to one or more actuators of the vehicle to thereby direct the vehicle during motive operation; during the application of the autonomous operation command: receive a control input from at least one inceptor for the vehicle; and determine a modified command that would result when the control input is applied in conjunction with the autonomous operation command to the one or more actuators; determine a safe range of operation for the at least one inceptor; apply the modified command to the one or more actuators responsive to determining that the control input is within the safe range of operation; and cease application of the modified command responsive to determining that the control input is no longer within the safe range of operation.
9. The controller of claim 8 , wherein applying the autonomous operation command occurs while the vehicle is in an autonomous operation mode.
10. The controller of claim 8 , wherein the control input comprises at least one of a steering input, an acceleration input, and a braking input.
11. The controller of claim 8 , wherein the one or more computer processors are further configured to: responsive to preventing a modification of the autonomous operation command, provide feedback to the at least one inceptor that provides an indication of preventing the modification.
12. The controller of claim 8 , wherein the one or more computer processors are further configured to: receive environmental information describing one or more aspects of an environment surrounding the vehicle; and determine the safe range of operation for the at least one inceptor based on the environmental information.
13. The controller of claim 8 , wherein the one or more computer processors are further configured to: determining a skill level of an operator of the vehicle; and determining the safe range of operation for the at least one inceptor based on the skill level of the operator.
14. The controller of claim 13 , wherein determining the skill level of the operator comprises: identifying whether the operator corresponds to a predefined operator profile having a skill level; and determining whether the operator operates the inceptor within a limit of the safe range of operation, wherein determining the safe range of operation for the at least one inceptor comprises incrementally increasing the safe range of operation.
15. A vehicle comprising: one or more actuators; one or more inceptors; and a controller configured to: apply an autonomous operation command to the one or more actuators to thereby direct the vehicle during motive operation; during the application of the autonomous operation command: receive a control input from the one or more inceptors; and determine a modified command that would result when the control input is applied in conjunction with the autonomous operation command to the one or more actuators; determine a safe range of operation for the one or more inceptors; apply the modified command to the one or more actuators responsive to determining that the control input is within the safe range of operation; and cease application of the modified command responsive to determining that the control input is no longer within the safe range of operation.
16. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein applying the autonomous operation command occurs while the vehicle is in an autonomous operation mode.
17. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the control input comprises at least one of a steering input, an acceleration input, and a braking input.
18. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to: responsive to preventing a modification of the autonomous operation command, provide feedback to the one or more inceptors that provides an indication of preventing the modification.
19. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to: receive environmental information describing one or more aspects of an environment surrounding the vehicle; and determine the safe range of operation for the one or more inceptors based on the environmental information.
20. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to: determine a skill level of an operator of the vehicle; and determine the safe range of operation for the one or more inceptors based on the skill level of the operator.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
September 18, 2018
August 11, 2020
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.